Is your preschooler eager to start "big kid" school? Are you wondering how you can prepare your child for kindergarten? You are the most important teacher your child will ever have. Sharon Wilkins, an early childhood educator for more than thirty years, shares some fun activities in reading and math readiness skills, science, art, music, and also simple ways to help a child grow in kindness and respect for others.

If you are getting your preschooler ready for kindergarten, here are some ideas that you can try:

• Singing is a great way to teach your child how to spell simple words, like "red." Sing this to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb:
  I can spell the color red, color red, color red
  I can spell the color red, it's simple r-e-d.You'll be amazed at how quickly your child will be singing the song. Seal this activity with a big hug and say, "You can spell!"
• Children love to learn how to print their name. On a piece of paper, print your child's first name about 2 inches high (only the first letter is capitalized). Give your child raisins. Focusing on the first letter only, and talk about the shape of the letter. Does it have straight lines or curves? Discuss the letter and the sound it makes. Then, ask your child to place the raisins along the outline of the first letter. Help your child count the raisins. Let him eat some if he wants! Finally, give your child an old paintbrush and a bucket of water. On your sidewalk or driveway, let him practice painting the first letter with water. (This is fun with no mess for mom!)
• Identifying the beginning of a word is an important skill in order to read. To help your child understand this idea, put an old shirt on her and squirt some shaving cream on your kitchen table. Let her play in it for a while. Be sure to tell her not to touch her mouth or eyes with the shaving cream. After a few minutes, print her name in the shaving cream and ask her to rub out the first letter. Compliment your child if she identified it, and if not, use encouraging words like, "You almost got it, honey. Let me show you which letter is first." It's easy to erase mistakes, so continue the fun and try the activity again. This is also a great time to practice the numbers 2 and 3, which children frequently reverse. Let your child be the teacher sometimes, too, and give you directions!
• Read - Read - Read! Books teach concepts, build vocabulary, and provide lots of enjoyment. Here's an activity to celebrate books and to make your child an author. Ask your child to put one small, interesting object - like a button, leaf or a pebble - in each of ten small, zip-closure bags. Then seal the bags and print the name of the object on each bag using a permanent marker. Staple the bags together on the side, and you have a unique book made by your child.
• Play the "What-If" game. Ask your child some questions about "unexpected" school situations, and ask her how she would handle them.
• What would you do if you couldn't find any of your friends during recess on the playground and your class had left?
• What would you do if you felt sick in the classroom?
• What would you do if you didn't understand something your teacher said?
• What would you do if your friend wouldn't play with you?

On that first day of kindergarten, you'll probably blink back tears, but if you prepare now, your tears will be tears of nostalgia, and not of worry. You can give your child a giant head start!